Santa Barbara

Whenever our dear friend Denise visits, Joan and Denise head to the kitchen and always come up with a great new concoction. This week, in honor of our week of soups, it’s this interesting combination of sweet potatoes, curry, coconut milk … and chicken! It’s a pretty soup, with a satisfyingly addictive play of sweetness from the potatoes, richness from the coconut and curry, and a beautiful tang from the added lime. See what you think.

In a large soup pot, blend the broth, coconut milk, and curry powder. Taste and add more curry, if needed, so the broth has a distinct curry taste. Add the chicken, sweet potatoes and white parts of the scallions.

Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat and simmer with the lid on for 20 to 30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft and the chicken is cooked through.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred or chop the meat.

Stir the soup to partially dissolve the sweet potatoes. You can use an immersion blender or mash a few chunks against the side of the pot.

Stir in the scallion greens, peas, cilantro or parsley, shredded chicken and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook until peas are tender, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in enough of the lime juice to give the soup a distinct citrus edge. Ladle into soup bowls.

Variations: add a little cayenne or a couple of teaspoons of freshly grated ginger, or serve with a dollop of yogurt.

Or keep it vegetarian by omitting the chicken. Either way, the curry, coconut, ginger flavors will come through.